On Sunday, November 11, 2007, the Vestry approved the first Five-Year Mission and Ministry Plan for Saint Paul’s. Over the last five years we have been guided by that plan as we carried out our Mission and Ministry. In anticipation of the end of that first Five-Year Mission and Ministry Plan, the Vestry formed a Mission and Ministry Committee in June 2011 to begin working on our second Five-Year Mission and Ministry Plan. Over the last 20 months this committee has been taking stock of where we are in building the Kingdom of God, imagining where we need to go, and developing a plan for getting there.

Our members tell us our greatest gifts are our people and the way we nurture one another spiritually. We also are a parish that reaches out to our larger community in many ways. We understand that being a Christian is defined by how we live in community. We pray together, break bread together, celebrate together, laugh together, and sometimes cry together. We support one another in our joys and struggles.

We are also a parish with challenges. In our area, many people claim to be spiritual and to have a church affiliation, but involvement in religion is declining. Our members live in challenging economic times – maintaining employment or living on a fixed income is difficult. The return on our investments are at historic lows. Our members often would like to leave financial details to someone else. Our dreams outpace our resources.

This picture is not a new one for our parish. We have had the same gifts and challenges for much of our existence. We have been a Christian community for over 160 years and we will continue into the future.

Living in a survival mode only leads to decline and death. Our future success depends ona decision to thrive. Such a decision involves two things most of us don’t like: risk and change. Abraham sought a city with foundations, yet God asked him to live in tents. As much as we like to stay in a comfortable place, God is always calling us forward.

In looking at our dreams and planning for our future, we have focused on five areas: leadership, spiritual growth, outreach, property, and finances.